A surgical apparatus may contain a shaft inserted into a housing and secured in place in many ways, such as with a set screw, a locking shaft collar, or a cross-pin fitting into a groove. During a surgical operation, the shaft may need to be detached and removed from the housing, for example, with a surgical apparatus that has a reusable handle and a single-use front end. Therefore, it is desirable for the surgical apparatus to have a quick disconnect mechanism between the housing and shaft that is simple, cost-effective, reliable and easy to use.